Hybrid bike for all-weather conditions
07-25-15, 01:11 AM
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Hybrid bike for all-weather conditions
Hey fellas
I have put about 600 miles on my Giant Escape 2 in 1.5 months. My friend loves my bike so he decided to take it from me. I'm in the market for a new hybrid bike.
Since I already have a road bike, I am looking for a hybrid bike for all weather conditions. My ride will be mainly winter/fall riding on pavement and gravel, rainy-snowy days - or short trips during spring/summer.
Would you recommend rigid fork or suspension (with hydraulic disc brakes, indeed) for 4-season riding?
Thanks in advance.
I have put about 600 miles on my Giant Escape 2 in 1.5 months. My friend loves my bike so he decided to take it from me. I'm in the market for a new hybrid bike.
Since I already have a road bike, I am looking for a hybrid bike for all weather conditions. My ride will be mainly winter/fall riding on pavement and gravel, rainy-snowy days - or short trips during spring/summer.
Would you recommend rigid fork or suspension (with hydraulic disc brakes, indeed) for 4-season riding?
Thanks in advance.
07-25-15, 04:42 AM
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I have a 2013 GT Avalanche 2.0 hardtail MTB. Most of the time I have 1.5" semi-slick tires on, it took me just about everywhere I wanted to go - rain or shine. I have done 82 miles ride on this set up, took me 11 hours to get where I was going tho.
I have another set of wheel set that have 2.25" nobbies tires on for winter riding. Obviously it won't go over a foot of snow or a foot deep mud but it gave me as close to the 4 seasons riding I ever going to get.
07-25-15, 07:08 AM
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Honestly, I would probably have kept the Escape and added fenders and any other necessary equipment. The Escape is a great all around bike, and it should make a great bike for inclement weather. I'd recommend buying another, similar bike. If you want drops, have a look at the Giant Any Road.
07-25-15, 10:05 AM
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Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
Actually, the ride of Escape 2 is really stiff because of the aluminum fork. Even Defy 1 has smoother ride than the Escape 2 due to the carbon fork and carbon seatpost. The problem is, FX Disc comes with aluminum fork, instead of carbon.
I am leaning towards Giant Fastroad SLR 1, or Specialized Sirrus Elite Disc. Both comes with carbon fork and disc brakes but I am not sure if they're good for light trails or gravel riding.
My situation is surprising similar to yours. I recently sold my Escape 2 and was only riding my Hardtail 29er. After a few months I missed having a city bike, so off I went to find my next bike. Test road everything, living in the Tampa area, we have LBSs everywhere. Giant, Trek, Specialized, Fuji, Scott, etc.
The bike I thought I preferred was the Specialized Crostrail sport disk. It rode awesome, shifted well, was comfortable, hydraulic brakes, etc.......my problem was I thought I wanted a hybrid with a front suspension and in my opinion, the suspension didn't help as much as I thought it would. One thing the suspension did do was add a lot of weight to the bike. Test riding a bike for a few minutes riding around the building of a LBS is much different than taking a bike on a 10 mile ride. I put probably 30 miles on the Crosstrail and decided I didn't care for it as much as I thought. If I didn't have a Hardtail 29er, then I'm sure I would have kept the Crosstrail. Most of my riding is on the road with occasional off road paths.
Anyway, after a week, I returned the Crosstrail and bought a Trek FX 7.4 and found that the carbon fork smoothed out bumps and road cracks as much as a Suntour hybrid suspension. Plus, I'm enjoying the lighter weight of the FX. The Crosstrail was a great bike, it just wasn't for me. The FX is everything I wanted in a bike.
The bike I thought I preferred was the Specialized Crostrail sport disk. It rode awesome, shifted well, was comfortable, hydraulic brakes, etc.......my problem was I thought I wanted a hybrid with a front suspension and in my opinion, the suspension didn't help as much as I thought it would. One thing the suspension did do was add a lot of weight to the bike. Test riding a bike for a few minutes riding around the building of a LBS is much different than taking a bike on a 10 mile ride. I put probably 30 miles on the Crosstrail and decided I didn't care for it as much as I thought. If I didn't have a Hardtail 29er, then I'm sure I would have kept the Crosstrail. Most of my riding is on the road with occasional off road paths.
Anyway, after a week, I returned the Crosstrail and bought a Trek FX 7.4 and found that the carbon fork smoothed out bumps and road cracks as much as a Suntour hybrid suspension. Plus, I'm enjoying the lighter weight of the FX. The Crosstrail was a great bike, it just wasn't for me. The FX is everything I wanted in a bike.
I am leaning towards Giant Fastroad SLR 1, or Specialized Sirrus Elite Disc. Both comes with carbon fork and disc brakes but I am not sure if they're good for light trails or gravel riding.
07-25-15, 10:55 AM
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A true four season bike will have disc brakes, 35-40 mm tires suitable for riding pavement/hardpack/gravel and in rain. In snow and ice you'll want to run studded tires.
A suspension fork is unnecessary, particularly with a 29er. A useful upgrade would be an internal hub for no maintainance riding.
There are many choices available on the market.
A suspension fork is unnecessary, particularly with a 29er. A useful upgrade would be an internal hub for no maintainance riding.
There are many choices available on the market.
07-25-15, 10:56 AM
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...in view of what you're saying, I'd go with the Sirrus, it should easily handle the riding conditions that you describe. I was deliberating for several weeks between that and the Crosstrail Comp Disc before going with the Crosstrail. There is a big difference however between the Crosstrail Sport Disc and the Comp, both the Sirrus Elite Disc and the Comp are made from much lighter aluminum alloys. I require a front shock due to physical issues with my wrists and hands, if it wasn't for that I probably would be riding that Sirrus as it comes with the carbon fork, sometimes I still find myself still going hmmm...
07-25-15, 11:27 AM
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All weather ? Add mudguards , and when cold enough for Ice , swap on some studded tires ..
discs? Hydraulic self adjust for pad wear, Mechanical discs You are the adjuster.
The Hybrid Niche is a segment all Brands want a slice of .. Pick a dealer you like first.
discs? Hydraulic self adjust for pad wear, Mechanical discs You are the adjuster.
The Hybrid Niche is a segment all Brands want a slice of .. Pick a dealer you like first.
Last edited by fietsbob; 07-25-15 at 11:31 AM.
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